Virat Kohli breaks this record of Sachin Tendulkar: Details here
What's the story
Virat Kohli has become the first cricketer in history to win 20 Player of the Series (POTS) awards in men's international cricket, as per Cricbuzz. The Indian batting maestro achieved this milestone during the three-match ODI series against South Africa. He surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record of 19 POTS awards, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
Stellar display
Kohli's ODI performance in the series
Kohli's performance in the series was nothing short of phenomenal. He scored a total of 302 runs, including two centuries and a half-century. His scores were 135 and 102 in the first two ODIs, followed by an unbeaten 65 in the final match. This was his 11th POTS award in ODIs, tying him with Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya for second-most behind Tendulkar's record of 14 awards.
Personal insights
Kohli's reflections on his performance
After the series, Kohli reflected on his performance, saying it was the most satisfying thing for him. He said he hadn't played at this level in 2-3 years and felt free in his mind. "Just the whole game is coming together nicely," he added. When asked about his best knock of the series, Kohli picked his first innings as it opened him up in a way he hadn't felt for a while.
Stats
Decoding Kohli's stats across formats
The second-highest run-getter in ODI history, Kohli has racked up 14,557 runs from 308 games at an average of over 58. His tally of 53 ODI tons is also the most for any batter (50s: 76). He bowed out of Test cricket with 9,230 runs from 123 games at an average of 46.85. His record features 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. In T20Is, he scored 4,188 runs across 125 T20Is at an average of 48.69 (39 fifty-plus scores).